Note: CB, an abbreviation for 'Citizens' Band', is a range of radio frequencies which the general public is allowed to use to send messages to each other. It is used especially by truck drivers and other drivers who use radio sets in their vehicles.
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Third Person POV
The group rushed up to the roof in a whirlwind of hurried footsteps, the door being forcefully opened and slamming against the wall. Merle, still handcuffed to the pipe in the corner of the roof, raised his head, intrigued. "Hey, what's going on, man?" He asked, his voice laden with impatience and confusion.
Breathless, Morales ran to the edge of the rooftop, his eyes fixed on the chaos of the streets below. "Hey, T-Dog, try the C.B.!" He shouted over his shoulder, without losing focus on the crowd of walkers.
Merle, frustrated by the lack of answers, insisted, his voice sharper. "Hey, come on. Talk to me, people! What the hell is going on?"
Leaning against the wall in front of Merle, T-Dog adjusted the C.B. radio in search of a signal. "Base camp, this is T-Dog. Can anyone hear me? Is anyone there listening to me?" His voice was firm, but the slight tremor betrayed the tension everyone felt.
Meanwhile, Morales raised the binoculars, his eyes scanning the crowd of the dead below. He remained silent for a moment before pointing to the horizon with determination. "There," he said, the tone of his voice carrying both relief and urgency.
The group followed the direction of his finger, and, in the distance, they could distinguish two figures moving quickly, avoiding the walkers. But before they could celebrate, a thunderclap echoed through the sky, followed by dark clouds rapidly approaching. It was clear that the rain was about to fall.
"Don't tell me that asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys?" Merle asked, his tone wavering between disbelief and panic upon realizing that Rick was not among them.
T-Dog, still holding the radio, turned his gaze to Merle. Without saying a word, he took the keys out of his pocket and waved them disdainfully in front of the handcuffed man. Merle froze instantly, the sarcastic smile disappearing from his face. The tension on the roof was palpable as the group awaited the next twist.
…
At the camp, restlessness began to grow. Amy paced back and forth, her face marked by worry as she murmured, "It's late." They should have already returned. Dale, sitting near the trailer, was calmly cleaning his rifle while trying to reassure her: "Worrying won't help."
Shane was sitting in front of his tent, with Carl by his side, showing the boy how to tie a knot. Lori, with a serene smile, was hanging clothes on the line while observing the interaction. The moment of relative tranquility was interrupted by the sound of static coming from the radio on top of the trailer.
"Hello, base camp! Is anyone there?" T-Dog's voice broke the silence, mixed with static. He repeated, "Base camp, this is T-Dog. Can anyone hear me?"
Shane immediately got up, exchanging a worried glance with Lori before running towards the trailer. Dale was already climbing the stairs, the radio in hand. "Hello? Hello? The reception is bad here. Repeat. Repeat," Dale asked, his voice laden with urgency as he adjusted the buttons.
On the ground, next to the trailer, Lori anxiously watched beside Carl and Shane. "Is it them?" She asked, hoping for a confirmation.
The response came with more static, but it was possible to distinguish the words: "We're in some deep shit. We're stuck in the department store."
"He said they're trapped?" Shane asked, frowning, already realizing the gravity of the situation.
There are walkers everywhere. Hundreds of them. "We are surrounded," the voice continued, but the sound weakened with each passing second.
"T-Dog, repeat the last one. Repeat." Dale asked, frantically turning the radio controls, trying to improve the reception. But all that came in response was static. The communication was lost, leaving everyone in a heavy silence.
"He said the department store," Lori stated, breaking the silence.
"I heard it too." confirmed Dale, looking at Shane.
"Shane?" Lori called him, her tone laden with expectation, as if she already knew what the answer would be.
"Not a chance," Shane replied firmly. "We're not going after them. We're not risking the rest of the group." He looked around, seeking support for his decision. "Everyone knows that."
Amy, until then silent, stepped forward, her gaze filled with disbelief. "So we're just going to leave her there?"
Shane sighed, trying to stay calm. "Look, Amy, I know this isn't easy..."
"She offered to go, to help the rest of us," Amy interrupted, her voice choked as she tried to argue.
"I know, and she knew the risks, right?" Shane retorted, crossing his arms as if delivering a verdict. "If she's trapped, she's gone. So, we just have to deal with it. There's nothing we can do."
Amy swallowed hard, her expression alternating between anger and despair. Her eyes filled with tears, but none fell. Finally, she exploded: "She's my sister, you son of a bitch."
Without waiting for a response, Amy turned abruptly and ran off, her footsteps echoing through the camp as frustration and sadness consumed her.
…
Outside, Rick and Glenn sneaked through the alley to the abandoned bus that blocked the way. On their bellies, they crawled underneath it, the viscera and dried blood from their lab coats sticking to the dust on the ground. When they emerged on the other side, a panorama of chaos awaited them: walkers wandered slowly, filling the streets ahead.
Following the plan, Rick and Glenn moved forward to blend in with the crowd, trying to imitate the awkward movements of the dead. For a moment, it seemed to be working until a brief rain began to fall. The water, although brief, was enough to wash away part of the entrails that covered them, exposing the human smell underneath.
The behavior of the walkers changed instantly. Heads began to turn towards them, dead eyes fixed with hunger. The first grunt was like a signal, and suddenly the entire crowd was upon them.
"Damn it! run!" Rick shouted, drawing the fire axe.
Glenn, with a machete in hand, fought efficiently, cutting down the approaching dead. Rick swung his weapon with force, clearing a path through the rotting bodies as they rushed towards the construction site.
"Let's go!" Shouted Glenn, taking the lead.
Reaching the wire fence that separated the garden from the streets, Glenn threw the machete he had in his hands to the other side. He jumped, grabbing the top of the fence, and quickly leaped to the other side. Upon reaching the other side, he turned, drew the pistol from his waistband, and began shooting with precision. Each shot took down a walker that threatened to reach Rick.
Rick climbed the fence shortly after, landing safely on the ground on the other side. He gave a brief nod of thanks to Glenn, who responded with another.
"I'm going to get the keys!" Said Glenn, already in motion.
While Rick kept the walkers trying to climb the fence at bay with precise shots, Glenn ran to the flowerbed, frantically searching for the keys to the cube van parked there. The metallic sound of the fence chains being knocked down echoed behind them, signaling that the crowd was advancing.
Glenn found the keys and ran to Rick, who continued to cover him.
"Here! catch!" Shouted Glenn, throwing the keys.
Rick caught the keys in mid-air and ran to the van. Both tore off their bloodstained lab coats and threw them on the ground before getting into the vehicle. Rick took the wheel while Glenn kept the gun in hand, ready to shoot if necessary.
With a roar of the engine, the van took off the moment the walkers approached, their rotten hands barely reaching the vehicle that was already gaining speed. Rick sighed with relief and asked, "What's the plan?"
"The roll-up doors of the stores, in front of the street. Let's get another car and warn them over the radio to get ready. With the alarm on, I'll go around first, distract the walkers, and then you save them." Glenn quickly explained to the officer.
"Smart. It's a good plan." replied Rick, analyzing the idea as he drove towards the department store.
As they approached, something caught Glenn's attention: a red Dodge Challenger sports car parked on one side of the street. He pointed and said, "Park the van near the car. We'll need this to divert the walkers."
Rick immediately maneuvered the van, parking it next to the Dodge. Glenn quickly got out, drew the machete handle, and broke the driver's side window. The alarm went off instantly, echoing through the streets with a loud and shrill sound, like a magnet calling the dead.
The noise had an immediate effect. The walkers began to move towards the car, temporarily abandoning any other sound or movement.
Glenn got into the car and quickly made the hotwire. The engine roared, adding another sound to attract the dead. He smiled briefly, satisfied. Inside the Dodge, Glenn said to Rick through the open window, "I'll go ahead. We'll meet on the highway, heading towards the camp."
Rick nodded and replied seriously, "Be careful!" He then accelerated the van, moving away towards the department store, while Glenn prepared to attract the horde.
With the engine roaring and the alarm still active, Glenn grabbed the radio and transmitted to the group, "We're coming to get you. The roll-up doors of the stores are right in front of the street. Be prepared."
…
On the roof, Morales and the rest of the group remained vigilant, watching Glenn and Rick move among the dead. The two walked calmly, with slow and calculated steps, as they tried to imitate the awkward movements of the walkers. The tension was palpable, but until that moment, everything seemed to be working.
Suddenly, a light rain began to fall. Jaqui and Andrea exchanged worried glances, clearly apprehensive about the effect the rain could have on their improvised camouflage.
"It's just a cloudburst. We have this all the time," Morales said, trying to reassure them. He looked away from the binoculars for a moment, turning to the two of them. "It'll pass quickly," he added in an optimistic tone, referring to the brief rains common in his home country.
However, as he turned his attention back to Glenn and Rick, Morales realized that the situation was more serious than he had expected. The rain was already beginning to wash away the entrails that covered the two, and the behavior of the walkers changed immediately. Now, Rick and Glenn were running, forced to fight against the dead surrounding them.
"Come on, come on, come on," Morales repeated like a mantra as he watched the scene with growing anxiety. He saw the two run towards the fence, trying to escape.
Finally, after a frantic effort, Glenn and Rick jumped the fence and reached the van. The group watched, with momentary relief, as they started the vehicle and sped away. However, the walkers continued to advance, knocking down the fence that separated them.
Andrea, upon realizing what seemed to be happening, exclaimed in disbelief, "They're leaving us."
"What? What?" Merle questioned, irritated and surprised, as he tried to understand the situation.
"Where are they going? Where are they going? Morales repeated the incredulity stamped in his voice.
"No, no, come back," Andrea pleaded, almost in a whisper, her voice laden with despair as she watched the van move further away, leaving the group in an even more vulnerable position on the roof.
After a few moments of tension, the radio crackled with Glenn's voice: "We're coming to get you. The roll-up doors of the stores are facing the street. Be prepared."
Morales, full of energy, shouted, "Let's go! Come on, come on!" He began quickly grabbing the bags full of supplies, encouraging the others to do the same.
On the other side of the roof, Merle began to scream in despair. "Hey, you can't leave me here! No kidding, man! Morales! Hey, man!"
"Don't do that!" He continued, watching Morales pass by him with the gun. "Hey, that's my gun. You can't leave me! Don't leave me here, guys!"
"Morales, come on!" Merle tried to plead, her voice laden with anger and panic.
T-Dog, however, stopped halfway, on the small platform that led to the door. He hesitated, the guilt beginning to weigh on him. Morales, already at the door, turned around to try to convince him. "I'm going. We have to go!" He didn't wait for T-Dog and ran down the stairs, carrying his things.
"Morales! You can't do this to me, man!" Merle shouted again, in a mix of anger and despair.
When Morales disappeared through the door, Merle turned his attention to T-Dog. "Hey, T-Dog. No, man. You can't leave me, man," he pleaded, his voice now almost a lament. "You can't leave me here... Not like this. You can't, man. It's not human."
T-Dog turned his head, alternating his gaze between the door and Merle, clenching his teeth in internal conflict as he listened to the desperate pleas. Finally, he started walking towards Merle, still holding the bags. On the way, he accidentally knocked a toolbox to the ground.
When T-Dog took a few more steps towards Merle, he began to celebrate, believing he would be set free. But then, T-Dog stumbled on a step of the platform, and the keys that were in his hand slipped, bouncing on the ground before falling into a nearby drain. They both reached out to grab them, but it was too late.
Merle exploded in anger: "You son of a bitch! You did that on purpose!"
"I didn't want to!" T-Dog shouted in his defense, his voice laden with regret and frustration.
"You're lying! You did that on purpose!" Merle shouted back, the fury in her voice echoing across the roof.
With no other choice, T-Dog grabbed the bags again and ran towards the door, trying to escape the chaos. As he ran, he shouted over his shoulder, "It was an accident, Merle!"
Merle, still trapped, begged again, "Don't leave me! Please!"
T-Dog stopped at the door, his expression tormented. He looked back, seeing Merle screaming and struggling against the handcuffs, pulling them with all his might. "Sorry, man." He murmured, although he knew the words would mean nothing.
Before descending the stairs, T-Dog grabbed a nearby padlock and secured the rooftop door's chain, locking it. He descended quickly, carrying the guilt like an overwhelming weight, while Merle's screams echoed ever more distantly.